The Tissue Procurement Core of the HCCC is designed to procure and make available a wide range of high quality human tissue specimens to investigators from the HCCC while complying with all governing rules and regulations covering such activty. The core was initiated approximately 24 months ago as a collaboration between the HCCC and the Department of Pathology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. The Core Director also serves as Director of Anatomic and Surgical Pathology for the Ul Hospitals and Clinics which facilitates this process. Tissue procurement began slowly as processes were developed. To date, the core has collected in excess of 1,000 specimens. At the present time, the core now averages approximately 90 specimens per month. Importantly, both procurement and tissue distribution by the Core are now fully operational. The Tissue Procurement Core is dedicated to the collection, storage, and distribution of high quality human tissue specimens from a variety of disease processes. The process of specimen collection proceeds in a deliberate and step wise fashion. Pre-operative patient consent is mandatory and is obtained either by Tissue Procurement Service Staff or by HCCC/UIHC medical staff at pre-operative visits. Once consent has been obtained, the patient proceeds to surgery to have their appropriate procedure performed. Tissue removed at surgery is then evaluated in the Surgical Pathology Laboratory for suitability of collection by appropriate Department of Pathology staff. Tissue Procurement Core personnel, working in cooperation with Surgical Pathology Laboratory Personnel, take appropriate specimens for archiving. The specimens are snap frozen